Bonfire
by Fence Surfin
Summary: Nico visits Percy on bonfire night and takes him dancing. Complete.


Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians. It belongs to Rick Riordan and the people who helped him make this book series possible. I am not making any money off of this fan fiction.  
>~*~*~<p>Camp Half-Blood was having a bonfire to celebrate the coming of autumn. Most of the kids still at camp by that time of year were older, and they decided to turn it into a kind of school dance. Percy wasn't too keen on the idea, and wondered why he had decided to stay at camp this year. Luckily Nico was coming soon to take him away for a while on a lead for new campers, so he had something to look forward to.<p>

Percy was starting to feel hot. The bodies dancing around him and the bonfire were just becoming too much. He had to get air. He left the crowd and came to a stop several feet away from it, where the light of the fire didn't reach. He leaned against a mossy tree and inhaled deeply. The air was damp. He slid down the tree to sit for a moment, watching his breath appear and disappear in the cold air. Suddenly he thought he felt a cold hand on his forehead and he looked around.

"Nico?"

Nobody was there. Not in the mood to investigate for possible monsters, Percy reluctantly returned to the bonfire. Annabeth and Grover were sitting near it, deciding on what to burn on a stick next. When Percy approached them they stopped and smiled at him.

"You look like the only person not having fun." Annabeth said, sticking a marshmallow on a stick.

"I am, I just got too hot." he said, sitting next to them.

"And you wish your man was here." Grover teased, writing his name in the air with smoke.

"That too. I'll see him tomorrow when camp's over, though." he thought about mentioning the hand in the forest, but then thought better of it. He conjured up some special blue marshmallows and stuck one in the fire. When his eyes got tired from the heat of the flame he looked away. From the corner of his eye he thought he saw Nico's shoes in the shadows. He ignored it, figuring that he was just a victim of wishful thinking. The three of them continued with the marshmallows until they were sick of them, then they put their sticks into the fire and went to dance the sugar buzz away.

As Percy was dancing (which was really just him standing there and moving his head a little), he looked at the crowd. It was funny to him how some of the more conservative campers typically had the dirtiest dance moves. In the shadows where the firelight didn't reach, Percy swore he saw Nico dancing in the crowd. He would be dancing in one area, then suddenly be in the other. Percy knew it was him. He could hear his laugh, and nobody else moved the way he did.

"Watching a bug or something?" Annabeth asked, pulling him into a swing dance move.

"Yeah..." Percy lied, trying to ignore Nico, but then he was dancing about two feet away, seeming to flicker in the shadows between dancing bodies.

"Go kill it. Your ADHD will thank you."

"Be right back." he said and started toward where Nico was flickering, then he disappeared. Percy saw him further away and pushed through the crowd toward him. He saw Nico's playful smile and once, just once, their eyes met. Nico disappeared again, and Percy didn't see him reappear anywhere. The further he got away from the light of the fire, the dirtier the dancing got. When he got to the makeout area he started hoping that if he did find Nico, he would be alone. He searched through the crowd for a while, then decided to return to his friends before they started to look for him.

"Back, you murderer?" Grover asked, teasing him, but obviously semi-sensitive about it.

"Yeah. It got away."

Grover relaxed and then they continued dancing. Percy was distracted the whole time and was glad when the fire started to die down, putting him in shadow so he could scan the crowd without being so obvious. He still didn't see Nico reappear and he wondered if his eyes had just played tricks on him. In his heart he knew Nico had really been there. That playful smile told him so.

"I never pegged you as a dancer." he heard Nico say behind him and he turned to see the crowd, but no Nico. He turned back to his friends and there he was in front of him.

"I'm not." Percy said, playing cool. In reality he wanted to grab Nico and hug him until he squeaked for air. Nico got closer and started dancing against him.

"This party is lame." Nico said against Percy's ear, "You should come with me to a different one."

"Did I hear something about a cooler party?" Grover asked, dancing up by the two.

"Yeah... at one of my dad's places in Las Vegas." Nico said. He hadn't invited Percy's friends, but he didn't really mind the idea as long as he got most of his boyfriend's attention.

"Tonight? How do we get there?" Annabeth asked, always watching Nico closely.

"Duh, I'm magical." Nico said, as if that made perfect sense. Annabeth gave him a look and he continued, "I'm really good at shadow travel now. I promise."

"If you forget one of my arms-"

"He won't." Percy said, sticking up for his man, "Let's go." He held Nico closely and then the other two hesitantly joined into a group hug.

Loud music and neon lighting assaulted their senses as all of the companions' bodies solidified again. A sound caught Percy's attention. It was like a pinball machine, but not. His eyes focused in the darkness and saw slot machines. They were in a casino. He gave Nico a confused look. You'd think that about 70 years in a casino would be enough for the guy. Nico kissed him and gave him a reassuring look before pulling him past the machines and toward a door. Guarding the door was a small, snooty looking man, but as they got closer Percy saw through the mist and saw that it was a Taraxippus; a ghost known to spook horses. The ghost peered down at them and asked, "Name?" Nico stepped into the muted light near the door, and the ghost gave him a once-over before marking something on his list and then opening the door.

"He's definitely no Cas...per..." Annabeth commented, almost forgetting to finish her sentence as she looked into the room. Bodies gyrated to music, much like at camp, but it wasn't all human bodies. At first glance it looked like a normal club, but when her eyes focused through the mist she saw various creatures dancing with demigods, with a few probable full-humans mixed in.

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in." Nico said as a smallish humanoid creature approached them with a crown of dead, slightly burnt olive leaves. He kneeled down to let the creature place the crown on his head, and Percy watched. Suddenly he felt a bite on his ear and the creature was running away. "Mormo... he bites bad children." Nico said and then kissed Percy's ear before giving it a gentle lick, "He knows what a naughty boy you are... not kneeling in the presence of royalty."

"He has no idea how naughty I am." Percy said, looking at his lover and kissing him, "What makes you royalty tonight, hmm?" His ear still kind of hurt, but he was too busy being interested in this strange party he'd come to and the sexy man in front of him. The crown fit Nico very well with his aristocratic looks and often 'better-than-you' attitude.

"You're joking, right?" Nico asked.

Percy blushed, "Well, I wasn't until you said it like that."

"I'm the muthafuckin Ghost King, remember?"

Percy blushed more, "I didn't realize that it was a real title."

Nico kissed Percy on the nose, "I forgive you, but I might tell Mormo to bite you again." he teased. "Now, there has to be a table full of food somewhere..." he grabbed Percy's hand and started pulling him into the crowd. Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand before he disappeared and Grover followed suit. They moved through the heat of gyrating bodies, and Percy almost died of cold shock when they went right through one of the dancers. Nico apologized, though the ghost hadn't seemed to notice at all. Finally they reached the other side of the dance hall and Nico made an excited noise when his eyes spotted the food table. Percy felt the smaller hand leave his and by the time he blinked Nico was piling fruits onto his plate, drooling and moaning, "Grapefruuuuit." before shoving some into his mouth.

"Someone has a vitamin C deficiency." Annabeth said, moving toward a dessert covered in chocolate.

"Duh. The dude lives underground." Grover said, already chewing on his plate.

"Don't make yourself sick." Percy warned as he watched Nico shove another grape into his mouth. The younger man turned to him and Percy saw that his mouth was completely full. "I thought royalty was supposed to have manners." he teased.

Nico swallowed, "I do, but not right now. I've been living on hotdogs and cheese crackers for the past month. Fresh produce doesn't do well at home." he sucked on a strawberry and Percy's mind flew into the gutter, preventing him from pestering Nico more. The younger man of course noticed it, but decided against teasing Percy further. "Let's dance. If I stay here any longer I'll eat the whole table's worth of pineapple."

Percy didn't really like dancing. At the camp's party he had just kind of stood there and rocked side to side. He found himself wishing that he knew how when Nico started to dance. He wanted his hands on that sexy waist as the smaller man swayed to the music. He didn't dance in a feminine way, but Percy wouldn't have called it masculine, either. It was just... Nico. Every so often the flashing, colorful disco lights would calm down and Percy could see Nico's smile glowing in blacklight. He swore that Nico's pale skin glowed a little, too, but it was hard to tell.

In that semidarkness he felt Nico's arms snake around his waist before starting to dance against him. Percy didn't know what to do, so he just stood there. He heard Nico laugh and then he moved behind the taller man, pulling him backward at the waist.

"Just move with me." Nico said against his ear, "I know you know how to do *that*."

Percy made himself relax against the body behind him and closed his eyes. He felt Nico's body wave, taking his own with it. They moved that way for a while, until Percy got the hang of it. Nico playfully licked the back of his ear occasionally, which made him shiver and lose concentration. Nico moved to face Percy and gave him a quick peck before moving in to dance against the older boy. Nico kept things PG, but every so often he made sure to grind his thigh against Percy's crotch.

There was a moment when Percy felt empty as someone pulled Nico away to try and dance with him. The glare that the son of Poseidon gave the offender must have pierced the darkness, because within seconds they were quickly disappearing from whence they came. Percy was about to grab Nico closer again when he stopped, simply watching the other man move. The strobe lights made it seem like he was dancing in slow motion, and Percy felt a familiar feeling down below when the strobes flashed on Nico's dark, inviting eyes. He stepped closer when the dancing crowd tried to cramp the space between them and once again Nico's body was undulating against him. Then, quickly as it had happened, Nico was on the move again, holding his lover's hand. Having forgotten about Annabeth and Grover long ago, Percy followed him back to the fruit table.

"You should eat something." Nico said, offering Percy a piece of watermelon. Percy looked at him with half-lidded eyes and then let his boyfriend put the fruit in his mouth. After swallowing it he grabbed Nico's hand and licked the juice from his fingers. Nico's eyes closed and he gave a little moan before pulling away, blushing, "I'm not used to having people around to stare at us."

"Let them stare." Percy said before kissing Nico. It was cute to him that mister I-Don't-Care-What-People-Think was getting embarrassed at their PDA. After the kiss he pulled the smaller body against him in a hug, looking around at the various party goers sharing an interest in them.

"I don't know how everyone is going to react to the son of Hades being a fluffer." Nico said nervously. He was acting so out of character that Percy finally realized that Nico was trying to tell him something.

"Nico?"

The smaller man looked at him, "Sorry, it's not really about that. It's just considered a weakness by some, and every monster is looking for a weakness, or an excuse to get us." he looked around at the crowd, then smiled in a change-the-subject way, "Eat some more food."

Percy patted the pocket which held his pen, "Okay, you nervous eater." he said and started to make a plate for himself.

"Try one of these." A woman's voice said behind him. He turned to see a beautiful woman holding a chocolate on a napkin in her hands.

"Whoa." he said on reflex when he noticed that she had a bronze leg and a hoofed donkey foot.

"Shit, really?" the woman said, momentarily breaking character, then she smiled, put the chocolate in his hand, and left in a huff.

"What was that?" Percy asked Nico.

"Empusa. You saw her true form before she could seduce you and feed on your flesh. Probably because you're not into chicks."

"And you tried to tell me that my sexuality is a weakness." Percy teased, moving to hold Nico against him. "Let's go dance some more." He pulled Nico back into the crowd and kept him as close as possible, just in case. Not that his lover minded. He clung to the taller man as they moved together, smiling and laughing as Percy fumbled his steps.

Suddenly Percy noticed something in the strobe lights when they hit Nico. Every time the light hit him, Percy saw another scratch on his skin. It took a moment for either of them to notice, and then there was a huge crash as the light fixtures came down. Percy took his pen out and saw Annabeth and Grover chasing down a massive Gorgon. He clicked his pen and was about to go help them when he heard Nico yelling. He turned and saw that whatever had made the scratches wasn't stopping. Nico's shirt was ripped up and he was bleeding as he tried to fight something that he couldn't see. Percy tried to run to him, but something hit him in the jaw, then the kneecap. He dropped to the floor, trying to crawl to Nico while trying to keep his eyes on attackers. Something put its clawed foot on his back and pinned him there, so he found himself just watching the carnage around him.

As the unseen assailant put the scent of Nico's blood in the air, other creatures started for him. Percy watched in fascination as his lover drop-kicked Mormo before turning around and poking the eyes of another humanoid creature. Then a kobalos rode in on a harpy, and Nico swiftly stabbed the harpy, grabbed the kobalos by the head and decapitated it by tearing its jaws apart. More and more creatures started at him, and Percy struggled to come to Nico's aid. Then Nico screamed and made a huge column of fire, consuming the creatures around him. As he continued screaming, the floor began to crack open, taking most of the party with them.

Everything suddenly went quiet. The dim safety lights were on, fading in and out. Percy got up, not sure of what happened to whoever had been pinning him down. He looked around. A few demigods and monsters were still present and unscathed, all staring at Nico. His crown of olive leaves was smoldering at the edges as he put his blade away. He took whatever remained of his shirt off and then headed over to the fruit, which had remained unharmed.

As Percy walked over to Nico he saw Annabeth and Grover going toward him as well. Afraid of what Annabeth might say, Percy picked up his pace. They all got to him at the same time and he looked up. Percy immediately grabbed him and held him close. Nico slightly relaxed against him.

"Sorry 'bout that, but I guess that's what happens when you mix demigods and monsters, right?"

Annabeth bit her lip, "Grover and I have a confession." Then she went on to tell that the two of them had been dancing when Annabeth stumbled into a son of Ares, who then accidentally stepped on a monster's foot. The son of Ares and the monster immediately started fighting, and Annabeth and Grover helped back up the demigod. The monster had back up, too, and before they knew it they were chasing a gorgon through the party.

After the story Nico just smirked, "That's ok. It's pretty common at these things, really." They heard a noise behind them and turned to see that a new lighting system was being put up and the music was starting back up. The partiers that were left were starting to head toward the food tables, so the four moved to a corner.

"Well, this was really fun, but I think I'm ready to go home." Annabeth said. Percy was surprised that she didn't chew Nico out or even mention his viciousness. Maybe she was coming to respect him finally.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready for the safety of camp again." Grover agreed.

"I don't wanna." Percy said.

"Well you don't have to come back yet if you don't want to." Annabeth told him.

"I'll take them back real quick."

Percy turned to Nico, who was still bleeding, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Percy wasn't convinced, but Nico was already grabbing the other two and all were waving. After they left Percy felt oddly vulnerable. Luckily everyone seemed to be ignoring him, already starting to dance. Percy was also shocked to see that new party goers were arriving as if nothing had happened. He started reminiscing about watching Nico fight. It was times like that when his true power really showed. Percy prided himself on being a good warrior, but there was no way that he would have been able to fight all of those monsters like his lover had. He was definitely less hands-on than Nico, and he was okay with that. He felt fingers crawling across his shoulders and then heard Nico whispering a song to him.

"I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck." he then hugged Percy's shoulders from behind. Percy turned around and kissed Nico.

"I love you too. We need to go get you fixed up." Percy said, noticing that the smaller man was looking tired and was still obviously injured.

"Okay." Nico hugged Percy close and they began dissapating into shadow. They arrived in Nico's bathroom and Nico rested against the sink. Percy grabbed a washcloth and cleaned the scratches across his lover's body.

"Any idea who did this?"

"My best guess is Empusa. She's kind of like a succubus and can turn invisible when she has to take someone by force."

Percy started the water and put his hand in the stream "What's her problem with you?" he asked, touching the smaller man's body. He used his ability to heal with water, spreading the water all across Nico's body.

Nico shivered, "That feels weird. Anyway, I think she was just pissed that you totally dissed her. It's not often that guys blow her off, and let's face it, women can be bitches."

"I'm sorry, then. I didn't mean to send some crazy chick after you."

"It's not your fault, Percy."

"Still." Percy turned the water off and inspected Nico to make sure he was all healed up.

"Checkin' me out?" Nico teased.

"Always."

"I think I'm okay now. Thanks."

"Nope, we missed one."

Nico gave his boyfriend a confused look, "I don't feel anything else."

Percy grabbed Nico between the legs and rubbed the outside of his jeans.

"Oh nevermind. I feel that one."

Percy kissed him and moved to the juncture of his lover's neck and shoulder. Nico purred and said, "You know, I think I'd better make sure you don't have any injuries, either." he lifted the other man's shirt off and then ran his fingers over his exposed chest. Percy shivered at Nico's cold touch. If it had been anyone else touching him with cold fingers it would have been uncomfortable, but somehow he was okay with Nico's outside body temperature. He went for the smaller man's belt, now a skilled expert at undoing it, and pushed his lover's pants down. Suddenly the doorknob rattled and they stopped.

"Did you lock it?" Percy asked.

"Yeah."

The rattling stopped and they listened to shuffling footsteps disappearing before relaxing.

"Let's make a run for my room." Nico said, still looking the warrior, even in just his underpants. He unlocked the door and grabbed the doorknob before listening carefully, "Ready?"

Percy nodded and Nico opened the door. They made a mad dash across the hall and there was an intense moment when Nico fumbled to open the door. They heard the shuffling steps again and Nico finally managed to get his door open before the skeleton noticed them. He locked the door behind them and looked at Percy.

"Your dad needs to get a new security system." Percy said, grabbing Nico close again.

"Don't say that. He'll get a Manticore or something."

"Ok." Percy said, having already forgotten what they had been talking about. He faced Nico and snapped the elastic of the smaller's man's underwear, "Now, where were we?"

Nico just motioned his head toward the bed. Percy quickly laid down. It was so decadently fluffy and comfortable that he sighed, sinking further into it. He looked down and saw Nico staring at him with wanting black eyes as the smaller body crawled on top of him. Nico was now stark naked, save for the charred looking crown of olive branches that he had placed back on his head. His hand came up and smoothed Percy's hair away from his face. The cool touch of Nico's skin made Percy smile.

Nico moved down to kiss his lover. The familiar feeling of Nico's cool skin and warm mouth had Percy's heart beating faster. To even things up, Percy moved to lick up Nico's neck. The boy shuddered and pulled the taller man closer, catching his lips again and gently nibbling on Percy's bottom lip. Blood rushed to the surface of the older boy's lips and he instinctively licked them. So did Nico. Percy let the younger man's tongue explore his mouth before joining the action with his own. He felt Nico's cold fingers pull at his hair as their kiss deepened. It felt like diving head first into a lake.

The younger man moved down and pulled off Percy's pants before sitting back on Percy's lap, staring down at him with those dark eyes. He liked that he could make the older boy nervous with his stare. He reached down and touched Percy's lips and purred when the other man sucked the digits into his mouth. Percy saw the white of Nico's teeth as he smiled. In the minimal light, all he could see were his lover's dark eyes and cheshire grin. It was kind of creepy, but in a good, 'only Nico' kind of way. He grabbed the smaller man's hand away from his mouth and pulled the him into a kiss. Nico relaxed into a laying position and Percy could feel the other man's erection against his own, making him gasp quietly. The smaller man began moving down again, kissing Percy's chin, jaw, neck... down and down, purposely skipping certain areas, and finally kissing the inside of either of Percy's knees before looking at his lover.

Blue stared into black and then Percy felt a bite on the side of his right knee before Nico's mouth was down on him. He moaned and put one of his hands on the back of Nico's neck, though his lover needed no guiding. Percy closed his eyes and gasped Nico's name as the young man's tongue flicked him just right. When he opened his eyes and looked down he was in immediate danger of cumming. Watching Nico's cute little mouth moving up and down his shaft, and then his cute little tongue licking at Percy's head was just too hot for him to handle. Nico stopped to give him a cheeky wink before sticking Percy's throbbing member back into his mouth. He knew Percy was ready to burst and was ready for it to happen. He started sucking hard and fast, using his hand to stroke the older boy into oblivion. He heard Percy's strangled sigh and felt the fist pulling his hair before tasting it. He felt several spurts on his tongue and carefully collected every drop in his mouth before releasing his lover's softening member. Percy watched Nico as he got up and grabbed a tissue before spitting into it and throwing it into the trash near his desk.

"Is it weird that somehow that was way sexier than you swallowing?" Percy asked as he recovered from his orgasm. Nico just blushed and shook his head before getting back on the bed and laying his head on Percy's chest, waiting for his turn. They kissed and touched until Percy was getting hard again. He moved to lay Nico on his back and settled between his knees before kissing him again, but with more passion.

"How do you want it?" Percy asked, grinding his hips into the smaller man's.

Nico bit his lip and pressed against him, but stayed quiet.

"I'm not going to do anything until you tell me." Percy teased, though he was only hoping his willpower was that strong. Nico gave him a frustrated look and then grabbed the older boy's cock. Why wouldn't Nico speak? Percy decided to up his game to make Nico say something, just once. It was making him nervous. He grabbed the other man's erection and stroked it quickly. The body underneath him squirmed and gasped through his nose, but Nico kept his mouth shut tight. Thinking fast, Percy wet his fingers with his mouth and shoved them inside the undulating form beneath him. Nico bucked wildly and whimpered a bit. Percy was getting distracted with the view, but then Nico stopped stroking him to place both hands on his shoulders and he remembered his goal. He curled his fingers up and knew what was coming before it happened.

"Ah fuck!" Nico whined, clenching the pillow with his fists. Then he said, "Fuck." in a way that sounded defeated. Percy removed his fingers and kissed Nico.

"Good. I thought you were possessed or mad at me for a second."

Nico grabbed Percy's hand and put the fingers back, "I just think we talk too much sometimes. I just want to feel."

Percy rolled his eyes. Typical horny boyfriend. He kissed his lover in relief and removed what was left of his olive leaf crown. Nico made a face and Percy laughed, "You may be the Ghost King, but with me you're simply my Nico." The smaller man just smiled and brought Percy into another kiss.

Soon Percy was ready to push in. Nico looked up at him and just whispered, "Go slow." before kissing him. Now that Percy wasn't afraid, Nico's features in the darkness somehow became more defined. The grin became a nervous smile and his predatory eyes now looked needy. Percy kissed down Nico's neck, loving the feeling of the cool flesh under his hot lips and the noises his lover made as he assaulted the obvious weak spot. He breathed in Nico's scent; that strange dank necropolis that he lived in mixed with the bonfire from the night and a little bit of carnage. Nico laughed. It always amused him that Percy was fascinated with the way he smelled. He held tightly to the taller man's back as Percy slid in and then out of his body.

The slow pace was not something they did often, and Percy was having a hard time keeping himself from just driving into the beautiful boy beneath him. He enjoyed it, though. Nico's cute little expressions stayed on his face longer and Percy loved knowing how much control he had over him. Nico's thighs twitched from the strain and the pleasure coursing through him. He wanted more, but not just yet. He loved the way Percy was staring at him in the half-darkness and made sure to perform for him. He stretched out languidly and adjusted their position to make Percy start hitting that spot. Moaning as the older boy's erection brushed over it, Nico wondered if he could finish with just the slow pace, then his body started to *need* to finish and he forgot to try. Instead he grabbed Percy's hips and pulled him in faster, moaning loudly as the pleasure hit his brain. The taller man gladly picked up the pace, but not too much.

He felt Nico's nails digging into his hips and he moved Nico's arms up, one by one, and then pinned his hands above his head with one hand. The boy beneath him made a frustrated noise, but then Percy attacked his sensitive neck and the noises turned to pleasured gasps. As Percy pushed in and out of Nico's body those gasps turned into desperate moans of pleasure. The older boy changed the pace again and Nico moaned loudly, his hands struggling against Percy's grip. The smaller man pushed up against his lover, trying to get as much body contact as possible without using his hands. Percy laid himself down on top of the smaller body and Nico wrapped his legs around him tightly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Percy let go of Nico's hands and cupped his face before kissing him. Nico's hands wrapped around his back and just held him. He pushed in harder and knew his lover was getting close. He watched Nico's face, conscious only of bringing him as much pleasure as possible. Nico pulled him down into a kiss and gasped into Percy's mouth as his body shuddered in that beautiful, familiar way. They kissed through it and then a little bit after, then Percy finally moved away to gently pull out of the smaller body. He started to stroke himself off until Nico's hand took over. They kissed some more until Percy was mimicking Nico's earlier shudders. The taller man collapsed on top of Nico, who just held him and pet his hair as they caught their breath. Percy wanted to stay like this forever just then; all curled up with his boyfriend, not caring about anything else but each other. In a rare occasion, Percy fell asleep next to Nico.

Nico didn't sleep. He was too busy still feeling. He was loving Percy's warmth, and the comfort of a solid body next to him. He took what remained of his olive corwn out of his hair and watched Percy sleep. It felt good that someone trusted him so much, after so many dirty looks from other demigods (*cough* Annabeth *cough*) just because of who his father was. Plus, people were never going to be completely comfortable with death, so they liked to keep anything relating to it at a distance. Not Percy, though. He had no problems sleeping with the Ghost King in the Underworld. At this thought Nico laughed to himself and Percy stirred, but stayed asleep. Nico pet his lover's hair and looked at the ceiling, letting his thoughts drift here and there. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when Percy woke up.

"I want one of your jackets when I go home." Percy mumbled against Nico's chest. The vibration snapped the smaller man back to the present.

"Hmm?"

Percy sat up, "When I have to go back, I want something that smells like you."

Nico laughed, "You and your weirdness about how I smell. You're going to make me paranoid about ever smelling bad."

"Well, I've continued to like you when covered in monster blood and other questionable fluids, so I think you're safe."

"Speaking of questionable fluids, I need a shower." Nico got up out of the bed and grabbed some clothes, "You coming?"

Percy nodded and they carefully made their way to the bathroom and started up their shower. Percy watched as Nico washed his hair, musing about how a lot about Nico was black and white, and it made sense because he was from a time when things really were. The white suds against his black hair, draining into a grayish bathtub... he easily could have been watching an old-time movie. Suddenly Nico was holding a bright orange bottle of body wash and the image was shattered. He smelled oranges as Nico began to wash himself with it. Percy bit his lip as he watched the relaxed and pleasured look on his lover's face.

"I want a house with an orange tree in the backyard." Nico suddenly said, his voice breathy with dream as he kept his eyes shut. Percy didn't answer, not wanting to bring Nico back to reality just yet, and the younger man continued, "I'd like a nice little garden in the back, with big sunflowers in the corner and green grass all around... Really big sunflowers, though."

"I'd love to give that to you." Percy said wistfully, unable to stop himself. It was true, though. He'd love to take Nico away to his Utopia. His stomach dropped as Nico opened his eyes and Percy saw how hollow they were.

"I'm sorry that you can't. I wish I could, though. I don't do so well down here." Nico rested his head against the shower wall, "My dad's afraid that I wouldn't ever come back."

"Don't you have to? You know, for ghost king stuff?"

Nico nodded, "Of course, but my dad still worries."

Percy watched Nico rinse the body wash off and then they traded places. Nico put the shampoo in the taller man's hair and helped him wash it.

"Nico?" Percy asked after the suds washed out.

"Hmm?"

"Does Hades love you?"

The smaller man started washing Percy's body, "Probably... you know, in a godly way I guess."

"Do you think my father loves me?"

"Duh."

Percy looked at the other man, who smiled, "Percy, he's helped you out a lot, even when it was forbidden. He may not be as accessable as Hades, but he's still always there."

"I guess that's true."

They finished their shower, taking some extra time to mess around, then stepped out to dry. Percy giggled and ran his hands through the dark curls on Nico's head, insisting that his lover had the most adorable hair and delighting in the other's blush.

"I love that I can still make you blush." he laughed, which only made the smaller man's cheeks burn hotter, then Percy got serious, "I really do want to give you the orange tree and the sunflowers, Nico."

Nico finished putting his shirt on and moved forward to kiss Percy, "I know you do."

"Fuck it. Let's do it."

Nico started laughing and Percy frowned.

"I'm serious."

The smaller man handed Percy his own shirt, "I know you are, just... how?"

"I'll find a way."

Nico bit his lip, knowing that Percy meant what he said. He felt the stirrings of excitement, but wouldn't let himself believe it until it happened. Still, it was a nice thought, and who was he to squish it? He pulled Percy into a hug and smiled a careful smile.

"Ok. Let's do it."

x.x.x Ta-da. This one took me a while to write. I hope you liked it, even though it had more plot than smexing.


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